Picker mechanism for knitting-machines.



No. 817,776. PATENTED APR. 17, 19 06.

J. B. HIPWELL. PIC/KER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 10,1905v Ja/m E gaff,

mew/toe wwvmm p I a/fi imz m MM UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

" OHN HIPWELL, F READING; BENNSXLVAN1A,,ASSIGNOR TO WINDSOR MACHINE oo.,'or iiEAn1N PENNSYLVANIA.

- To all whom it may concern:

Pioksnivii-ioia misiri i=oe mlTaae-m'cm aee' :1

Application filed October- Be it known that I, JOHN B. HIPwELt, a

' citizen of the United States, residing in the mto what is commonly known as the two and-one type of mechanism, in whlch during. the widemng operation two'raised-needles.

city of Reading, county of Berks, and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Picker Meohan ism for Knitting-Machines,- of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to' icker mechanisms for kmttlng-machlnes, an more part cularly are lowered ointly by each drop-picker action and one of them reraised by a: lifterpickeron the reverse reciprocating move merit, the effect of which action upon the fab-.

=ric is well known. I

In my improved mechanism I em loy a novel cooperatingsarrangement of'pic ers in which the drop-pickers are left free-of' con f trolling devices, while the lifterickers are pointed outin the claims.

provided with automatic control ing means, said means being adapted, as hereinafter described, -to cause the lifting action ofe'ach of the lifter-pickers alternately toeffect the locking of the same in final inoperative position and the simultaneous setting of the other lifter-picker int-o operative positlon.

The several novel features of the invention are fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and are specifically .Figure 1 is apartial plan view ofa canicylinder of a knitting-machine, showing my improved picker mechanism in preferred form applied thereto, such ordinary features of knitting-machine construction as it is unnecessary to show bein omitted.- Fig. 2 is anexterior elevation oi the same developed u on a plane and showing one of the droppickers and one of the lifter-pickers in raisedosit-ion and the others in depressed position.- ig. 3 is a separate view of one Ofilltill'OP- pickers. a

In connection with other knitting-cams em )loved as usual upon the caniecvlinder 2, and which need not be particularly referred to, I provide a picker'nieclianism comprising a pair of drop-pickers 3 :3. each 01 which, as shown. 15 independent 01 controlling devices-f and arranged to hedireetlv operated h the needles, and a pair of lllltF-lilt'liil'S 4- 4. each of which, as showi is conirollei-l by :llll U Specification of Letters Patent.

first-mentioned picker in inoperative position, where 1t 1s positively held out of unnecessary contact'with the passing needles until it is required to act again, w The litter-pickers 4 4, as shown, correspond substantially with .those described me January 19, 190-1, each-comprising a main "arm 5, pivoted at 6 to afitting 7 on the camt e main'ann 9 an carrying a needle-engaging finger-j1'0,whichprojects throiwh an openingll .iIi-the .wallof the cam-cv inder, and each of saidarins being spring-pressed in one "directiona ndlimited intheir pivotal movements,.asindica-ted; In' my improved mechanism'these lifter-pickers are provided with controlling devices as stated, which in the referred; construction shown comprise a atoll-bar 15 for each lifter, pivotall v carried by the latter at a convenient point, as the needle-finger axis 10, and having its free end 16 oided ma fitting 17 on the cam cylin'der and hooked at 18, so-as to engage a catch 19 when the lifter has beenelevated with a contact-ing end needle. In order that each operonly effect the locking of the same in final infor a succeeding operating movement, the

ers in the preferred construction shown have their free ends 16 tapered and each provided with an engaging projection-20, whereby the latch-bar of ie raised picker'is lifted out of engagement with its catch 19 by the elevating movementof the lowered picker, thus peri-intting the raised picker todrop into low cred operative position as the other picker is rising with an'engaged needle.

"drop-pickers 3 3, comprising, as shown, a l iii'aiii arm .25, pivoted at 26 to a litting' 27 on the caneqvlinder, so as to swing in a plane f p 1: approximately tangent to thelatter, and l a needii -engaging arm 2*, pivoted at 29 upon Q iheouter portion of said main arm, so as to o )erative position, but may also effect the setting of the other picker mto proper position separate latch-bars 15 of the respective pick- -ment and to'finally'caus'e the locking of said 4 S and claimed -in Patent No. 799,933, issued to c linderfand a secondary arm 8, pivotedto =ating movement of either picker may not 1 00 In connection with the automaticallv-conllfOllOtl-llittl':pltliti'S described-I emplovl'ree swing in a plane at right angles to said tan gent plane. This needle-engaging arm 28'is swung with the main arm around the pivotal "point 26 in carryin down the needles enga 'edby the terminal finger 30, as indicatetI'in Fig. 2, while on the reverse movement of the cam-cylinder, as shown, the needle-en aging arm 28 is moved vertically downward out. of. the way of the passing needles, its swing upon the'pivotal connection 29 to themai'n arm being approximately in a Vertical, lane p p'radial to the cam-cylinder.

In reciprocating the cam-cylinder 2 during the widening operation the needle-finger 30 of each drop-picker 3 engages two idle needles and ismomentarily swung'dowrmard to lowered position', as indicated to the right of Fig. 2, thereby lowering said needles. into action, the raised needles thereafter merely depressing the drop-picker arm 28 (see Fig. 3) in the plane 1) p until two additional needles are.to'be lowered -thereby. In the reverse reciprocating movementof the camcylinder one of the last-lowered pair of needles engages the finger 10 of one of the lifter-pickers 4 (then in owered position) and {swings said. lifter-picker upward with said needle,

the latch 15 of said picker by such movement first releasing the other lifter-picker to set it into operative position and thereafter engaging the catch 19 to hold the raised picker in elevated osition free from the passing needles until similarly released and set by the action of said other lifter-picker. Thus, each of said lifter-pickers is automatically locked in inactive position until set by the action of a lowered end needle upon the other. The drop-pickers are left free to the action of the raised needles except when swung entirely out of action, by means not shown, during the narrowing operation.

'Durin circular knitting of course the low ,ered needles pass under the usual fixed cam on the cylinder upon which the lowered lifterpicker rests, so that there is no contact of the needle-hubs with said lifter-picker and no Wearing action Whatever upon either picker.

The preferred detail construction, whichhas been specifically described and 'shown, 5c

may obviously be readily varied without departin from my invention as particularly pointed out in the claims.

hat- I' claim is 1. In a knitting-machine the combination of drop-pickers'arranged to throw down two needles at once with lifter-pickers having controlling devices whereby the lifting action of each of said pickers alternately effects the locking of the same in final inoperative position and the setting of the other picker into operative position.

' 2. In a knitting-machine the combination with a pair of alternately-operating pickers, of controlling devices therefor whereby the operating movement of each effects the looking ofthe same in final inoperativeposition and the setting of the other picker into operative position.

3. In a knitting-machine the 'combination wit-h a pair ofalternately-operating lifterpickers, of controlling devices therefor whereby the operating movement of each effects the locking of'the same in final inoperative. position and the setting of the other picker into operative position.

' 4. In a knitting-machine the combinationwith a pair of alternately-operating pickers, of latching means acted upon by each operating movement of either picker to effect the locking of said pickers in final inoperative osition and the setting ofthe other picker or a succeeding operating" movement. 5. In a knitting ma'chine the combination with a pair of alternately-operating pickers,

of a latch for each of said pickers and a catch therefor, each of said latches being adapted to release the other in moving into engagement with the catch.

6. Anautomatic picker for a knitting-ma be capable of swinging downward in a plane approximately tangent thereto, and a needleengaging arm pivotally carried by said main arm and extending at right angles therefrom through the cylinder-Wall, said needle-engaging arm being adapted to be swung down- Ward in an approximately radial plane by the passing needles, substantiall as set forth. In testimony whereof I a my signature in the presence of'two witnesses.

JOHN B. HIPWEIJL.

Witnesses: W. G. STEWART, D. M'. STEWART. 

